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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — State Agriculture Department officials are touting improvements to the enforcement of Pennsylvania’s dog law enacted five years ago.

The law, which was enacted in 2008, is designed to crack down on puppy mills, but enforcement of the law has been the subject of harsh criticism.

So far in 2013, the Dog Law Enforcement Office has cited more than 30 kennels for operating without a license.

Five kennel licenses have been denied to individuals with a negative dog law history, and two kennel licenses are in the process of being revoked.

All of this is encouraging to Tom Hickey, of Chester County, a member of the Dog Law Advisory Board who has been critical in the past.

“So what we’re seeing right now is that there’s been increased enforcement by [the] Dog Law in many areas that we’ve identified. We’re glad to see that they’re now citing more kennels, that they are going after unlicensed kennels,” Hickey said.

Hickey is also pleased that over the past year, the Dog Law Enforcement Office has collected $10,500 in civil penalty money.